Tag Archives: doctor-patient communication

Here’s How a Great Doctor Helps Her Patient Make a Cost-Conscious Treatment Decision

Posted on April 29, 2016

Sometimes in my research on physician/patient communication, I come across a doctor who is so good with her patients, I have to share their bedside manner with you. The most recent example is a (to remain unnamed) oncologist in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Medical Decision Making | Tagged , , ,

Reducing Healthcare Waste: Don’t Expect Patients To Take The Lead

Posted on March 25, 2016

Lena Wright’s best friend was hunched over like a character from a French novel, with spinal bones so thin they would fracture with a fit of sneezing. Determined to avoid that fate, Wright (a pseudonym) asked her primary care doctor … Continue reading →

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The Wrong Way To React When Terminally Ill Patients Cry

Posted on March 18, 2016

Just three weeks earlier, she had noticed something strange about one of her breasts. An irregular shape. Her daughter brought her to the doctor, and soon the patient, I’ll call her Amanda, was diagnosed with breast cancer, stage “to be … Continue reading →

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Are Doctors Ready to Talk about Health Care Costs with Patients?

Posted on August 4, 2014

While I was on vacation, I spoke with reporter about a topic near and dear to my heart – importance of getting clinicians to talk about health care costs with their patients. The reporter put together a very nice piece … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Medical Decision Making | Tagged

How To Tell Someone That She Is Dying

Posted on July 11, 2014

Elizabeth’s breast cancer had already spread to her bones and was now invading lymph nodes in her right armpit, causing painful swelling that kept her up at night. Today, however, as she walked into her oncologist’s office, Elizabeth felt like … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Decisions, Medical Decision Making | Tagged

If Costs Are Unknown, Can Doctors Still Talk About Them?

Posted on June 17, 2014

I have been writing a bit lately on the need for healthcare providers to talk with their patients about healthcare costs, if for no other reason than to enable patients to determine whether they can afford to pay for the healthcare that … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Policy, Medical Decision Making, Uncategorized | Tagged , ,

New Review of Critical Decisions

Posted on May 15, 2014

My heart was warmed by a new, and very positive, review of a Critical Decisions. I always find myself agreeing with people who liked my book. Funny thing. Anyway, here is the review: “This is a very belated review. And … Continue reading →

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Want narcotics just ask for them?

Posted on April 2, 2014

A very disturbing new study was just published, in which physicians viewed a video of a patient with back pain asking for OxyContin. Twenty percent of docs said they would prescribe that med under that circumstance: …Too often, doctors prescribe … Continue reading →

Posted in Medical Decision Making, Miscellaneous | Tagged ,

Discussing Financial Toxicity in Oncology Settings

Posted on January 28, 2014

The American Society of Clinical Oncology is one of the leading specialty organizations for physicians who take care of patients with cancer. A reporter from ASCO just wrote a nice piece, in which she questioned me to go into more … Continue reading →

Posted in Medical Decision Making | Tagged , ,

More Discussion about Discussing Out-Of-Pocket Costs

Posted on December 23, 2013

In the wake of my recent New York Times op-ed, and other writing about patient out-of-pocket costs, I was interviewed by Tammy Worth, a writer at Renal and Urology News. She did a great job of exploring this controversial topic. … Continue reading →

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